~~~Group A - Brazil, Croatia, Cameroon, Mexico~~~ Croatia have a lot of firepower and an experienced defence while Mexico lacks a good defence and Cameroon lacks a good goalkeeper. The hosts should make the R16 no problem.

~~~Group be - Spain, Netherlands, Chile, Australia~~~ Australia will need a miracle to advance. The big toss up here is Netherlands and Chile. The Dutch have an amazing offense but a sub-par defence, while Chile should not to be underestimated. Whoever wins Netherlands vs Chile should advance along with Spain.

~~~Group see - Ivory Coast, Colombia, Japan, Greece~~~ Some say this group will be easy for Colombia even with the injury of star player Falcao, but I don't quite agree. Japan has a pacy and energetic team while Ivory Coast have the likes of Drogba and Yaya Toure. Both teams also boast world renown coaches. Add in a difficult-to-pronounce Greece team that could upset someone, and you have one of the most hard-to-predict groups.

~~~Group D - Uruguay, Italy, England, Costa Rica~~~ As much as I tried to back England to advance, I've changed my mind with the loss of Walcott and maybe also Chamberlain. Italy have a solid all-around squad and Uruguay will be more used to South American conditions even if top striker Suarez is ruled out. Costa Rica surely have no chance to advance from this group of death.

~~~Group E - France, Switzerland, Ecuador, Honduras~~~ France should have a clear path to the R16 in the easiest group. Switzerland have some good players on its squad and, believe it or not, is #6 in the FIFA World Rankings. They should be good enough to advance over both Ecuador and Honduras.

~~~Group F - Argentina, Bosnia & Herz. Nigeria, Iran~~~ B-H and Nigeria's head-to-head will be crucial. I reckon B-H's Dzeko and Begovic will come up bigger than Nigeria's Odemwingie and Enyeama. Iran lacks good players, while Argentina and Messi should have no problems advancing.

~~~Group G - Germany, Ghana, Portugal, usa~~~ The second group of death features a promising US side, but let's face it: the US team is inexperienced in defence (except Beasley) and never seems to do well against Ghana. There is potential for upset with Ronaldo battling fitness and Germany might be through to the R16 by the time US plays them. Germany should advance but the other teams can pounce on any slip-ups. I have a gut feeling that Gyan and Ghana - the pride of Africa - will sneak into the R16 alongside Germany.

~~~Group H - Belgium, Russia, South Korea, Algeria~~~ Belgium is the dark-horse of this World Cup and should advance comfortably, while Algeria seems to lack in comparison to Russia and Korea. Russia brings a cohesive defensive team composed of all-domestic players, while Korea brings a young attacking team with players from Korea, England, Germany, etc. I'd say Russia are favorites for the runner-up, but an upset isn't impossible if Korea wins the head-to-head.

10th - Caterham, 11th - Marussia This year is a "reset" but I think both teams will remain at the bottom with no points. The Renault has been troublesome, but I reckon Caterham will win the battle courtesy of a higher race finish from Kobayashi.

7th - Red Bull, 8th - Toro Rosso, 9th - Lotus The Renault powered teams have been in a mess during pre-season. Whereas Red Bull have struggled, I expect them to continue improving over the season and finish as the highest of the Renault powered teams in 7th. Toro Rosso looked better than Red Bull in pre-season but they don't have a certain Sebastien Vettel behind the wheel. Lotus have struggled with a new car and racing director, and with Raikkonen gone, I don't think they can bank on their inconsistent drivers to turn the Lotus car into a racing nemesis.

5th - Force India, 6th - Sauber The perennial battle for the two mid-table teams is set to continue with both teams showing flashes of capability in pre-season. However, I think Force India edges Sauber both with its car and driver lineups.

4th - McLaren The remaining "top 4" teams seem to have a chance at the championship. Of those teams, McLaren has looked the least convincing. In addition, rookie Magnussen will probably make mistakes here and there, costing his team some points.

3rd - Williams, 2nd - Ferrari Williams has been the most surprising team of the pre-season, and with the backing of Martini they should be able to compete for the championship. They will have to rely on Massa though, and I'm still not convinced on Bottas. Ferrari seem to have the 3rd best car but they always know how to improve over the season and they have a fantastic double world-champion driver lineup, which I think will work to their benefit in a close fight with Williams.

1st - Mercedes Best engine, best car, and two great drivers. You never know what might happen, but right now they have to be favorites to deliver at least the constructer's championship. Having said that, reliability is a key aspect this year and I wouldn't be surprised if a Ferrari driver wins the driver's championship. But for now, I'd go for a Hamilton-Mercedes season victory.

Despite the frustrating draws and losses throughout the season, the key barrier between us and a few more points were the direct matchups. We really need to be winning at least 4 of those 12 matches and "break-even. "

Looking at this, I'm setting a goal of 80 points for Arsenal next season. If we can hit it, we should finish back in the top 2, and if we can exceed expectations a bit perhaps clinch the title too